


The Sword

by Dreaming_Writer



Series: The Sword [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Genre: Alternate Universe, Betaed, Four Sword - Freeform, Gen, He gets it - eventually, Identity Issues, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link (Legend of Zelda) is a Dork, Link is a self sacrificing idiot, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Loneliness, Magic, Mental Instability, Self-Worth Issues, Sword Spirits - Freeform, The Author Regrets Nothing, The author is an evil person, mental manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25825777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreaming_Writer/pseuds/Dreaming_Writer
Summary: Link already had had the experiences of two adventures so technically he should have known better. But he didn't. And why? Because he had been stupid. Mentally berating himself, he would have crossed his arms and leaned back if he still had arms and a movable body which both he currently did not possess.Or wherein Four was actually five.
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: The Sword [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873891
Comments: 86
Kudos: 160





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, you lovely folks that clicked on this story. Let it be known I already started writing it back in January and only now managed to finish it, thus here it is in all of it's seven chapter glory and betaed by the amazing Agent3Novi. A round of applause, please!  
> I'll update the chapters when I feel like it, probably two times a week if this doesn't explode before then. So have fun folks! ^^  
> *evil cackling*

Link already had had the experiences of two adventures so technically he should have known better. But he didn't. And why? Because he had been stupid. Mentally berating himself, he would have crossed his arms and leaned back if he still had arms and a movable body which both he currently did not possess.

How had it come to this? The answer was quite sad, but as much easy. He had become arrogant. Had let his guard down, trusting the enchantments around the Four Sword and now he was stuck. Stuck inside the very sword that should have helped him defeat the current evil which had been released because of his own stupidity.

Looking back on his life he couldn’t help but mentally sigh. He really should have known better.

Link had lived with his grandfather ever since his mother died when he had only been three years old. Because his father was one of the knights of Hyrule, he had been too busy and too grieving for his wife to properly take care of his only child, who reminded him of his wife every time he looked at him.

Thus he had shoved him off to his elderly father, who had taken care of his only grandchild ever since. And because Link’s grandfather was the royal smith, he was often inside the palace to deliver his finest weapons to the king personally, which had been where the young boy found his first and best friend in the young princess Zelda, who had just lost her own mother as well to sickness only a little time before. Over their shared loss and grief the two children bonded and soon were inseparable.

But everything had really started when he was only eight years old. That year the festival of the Picori was unusually grand and in Hyrule Castle there was a tournament of sword-fighting skill that calls to mind the heroes of legend. Link remembered too well how excited he had been to watch the many fighters. His Grandfather Smith had simply shaken his head at the boy's eagerness and told him to deliver the sacred Picori Blade, that would be presented to the champion by the king.

After managing his task, Link and Zelda had watched the fights and in the breaks in between they ran from booth to booth, playing games and just having fun. Zelda had even won once, the shield that had been presented to her as a prize, she had gifted to him. Link had playfully vowed to never let it out of his sight.

Everything had been fun and games until that year’s champion, a mysterious man by the name of Vaati, had to ruin everything. He shattered the Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest, which, for ages, had been sealed by the Picori Blade, trapping evil monsters within. Then he subdued the castle guards and turned Princess Zelda to stone before departing, trying to get his hands on the Light Force.

And then Link had suddenly found himself on a quest to defeat Vaati and save Hyrule with the help of a talking bird-hat named Ezlo, who was actually a Picori-mage and the Picori were actually called Minish. Talk about plot twist. It was all very much confusing, but Link dealt with the cards he had been given the best he could.

On his adventure Link reforged the broken sword and infused it with the Four Elements, thus fully restoring the now renamed sacred Four Sword. The sword had a neat ability, if you asked the eight-year-old – it could create three copies of himself, which would copy every move he made.

Then Link finally managed to vanquish Vaati and used the Four Sword’s evil-banishing power to restore Princess Zelda, which was good. Then Zelda managed to get all of Vaati's misdeeds undone by wishing for it with the Mage's Cap, which was just as good.

But now that the land of the humans had been saved, Ezlo had ventured back into the world of the Minish, which made little Link incredibly sad. He missed the small mage terribly.

At least everything had gone back to normal. Or so he had thought.

Not even two years later Vaati broke out from wherever the sword had banned him to and started wreaking havoc again. He terrorized many villages in Hyrule and kidnapped any beautiful girl who caught his fancy.

Which was really creepy and really stupid in Link's back then ten-year-old mind. Girls have cooties after all, why would anyone want to kidnap them? And then the amnesiac Vaati took the one girl that didn't have any cooties in Link's eyes, Zelda. And that was the moment a line got crossed in Link's eyes.

He took the Four Sword from its pedestal and it duplicated him until he was four, which was kind of awesome, really. All four could think but still had some kind of hive mind and Link never felt as proud as when thinking about how fast the sword he helped to reforge managed to grow in magic power, that now the duplicates could move and act individually.

Then the Great Fairies helped Link to get to the Palace of Winds, but not until he proved himself courageous enough, which was annoying, really. Hadn't he already done enough two years ago when he defeated Vaati already once?

Apparently not and so Link had to go on another adventure until he was “worthy” enough to fight Vaati and to reseal him back into the Four Sword, which he then put back into the Sanctuary.

Zelda, in her white wedding dress, meanwhile had even dared to roll her eyes and ask where he had been so long, for she had almost run out of ideas of how to keep Vaati from marrying her. Link's only answer had been to tell her to get the heck out of that stupid dress, for it made her look even more chubby than usual (the angry slaps on the back of his head to knock some sense into him had been totally worth it).

And then, not even two weeks after Link's second adventure, there was a surprise: his father had knocked on the door of the house where Link lived at his grandfather's and said that Link was expected at the castle to receive his knighthood. Which was unexpected, really, but Link figured it was Zelda's way of making sure the fairies would not lengthen his quest unnecessarily ever again. At least it meant that his father had somewhat time for now, now that he was one of his colleagues. Which was, looking back on it, really sad.

Because Link had never truly understood why his father had sent him to live at his grandfather’s. Was it shame? Had he not been good enough for his father? Link always had tried his best to be a good boy. He had top marks in school, had saved Hyrule twice, but never once had his father even batted an eye in his direction. In fact, when Link tried to catch his eyes, he would always look away. And so, even though Link had always tried his best, he was apparently never enough in his father's eyes.

This drama found its highest point only a day ago.

A man named Jago had lead a gang for a raid. Link managed to stop him and proudly presented him to his father, but instead of praising his son for a job well done, his father scolded Link over acting alone and rash, never once meeting his eyes the whole time. Why did he do this? And why did he ignore the good that had come from Link’s fast reaction?

Why was Link never good enough for his father, the oh so great knight of Hyrule? Why, even though he was now a knight himself, was Link never good enough in his father’s eyes?

Angered Link dismissed him and walked off, fuming. Because, how dare he? Everything Link did was to help others and maybe finally win the love and appreciation of his father. And yet nothing he ever did was good enough, even now that Link himself was a knight like his father, which was honestly frustrating.

And then to top it off his father then went to Zelda and asked her to talk to Link about teamwork. Link never felt as betrayed as in that single moment, as he heard the whole talk because he had hidden behind his best friend's temporary throne. Because after her father had become very sick, the king had left most of his duties to his only twelve-year-old daughter, which Link thought as pretty wrong, though Zelda didn't seem to mind much.

After his father had left, Zelda tried to calm Link and to tell him that the knight very much loved and appreciated him, but had a very hard time showing it, which had been the reason why he had pushed Link away in the first place and left his elderly father raise the boy for all of his childhood.

Link really would have liked answering something snappy to that, because if his father had cared at all about him he would have at least visited once or twice in all those years, but then the six shrine maidens entered and reminded Zelda that they were ready to check the seal on the Four Sword. It had become a recurring ritual, repeated every four months, which started after Link's last adventure, seeing that Vaati had managed to weaken and break through the seal already once.

Link followed his friend and the maidens into the Four Swords' sanctuary where they started the ritual to strengthen the seal once more. But something was wrong.

And before Link could do anything to stop the incoming catastrophe, the maidens had already disappeared into pillars of light and Shadow Link appeared, a mocking, dark version of Link. The boy instantly attempted to fight the being, but his attacks simply went right through it.

Laughing the monstrous mirror image kidnapped Zelda, crowing about what his master Vaati would do to her this time, and left a fuming Link behind, who had already been an emotional mess thanks to the earlier incident.

Because he couldn't understand it! How could Vaati have broken the seal? Where did this Shadow Link come from? How can they be stopped?

Anger overtaking logic, Link drew the Four Sword once more so he would be able to save Zelda.

(…and maybe be finally enough for his father…)

Link realized his mistake the second his hand touched the hilt and moved the sword. The enchantments that were holding Vaati there, were still standing, though twisted beyond recognition. And his single touch broke the seal and activated the twisted magic.

Because this time Vaati had from within the sword, where he had been sealed away, twisted the magic so that instead of him it would instantly capture the only one who would be able to remove the sword, and that person was Link. And the new enchantments were meant to kill him, ripping his body, soul and mind into tiny pieces.

And while Vaati was set free, Link was sent spiraling down an abyss of pain, pieces of his very soul randomly ripped away. His body, still holding onto the hilt, was torn apart and regrown into four bodies as the light magic of the sword battled to do its job against Vaati's dark one. A single pain-filled scream tore out of Link's throat and then he didn't have a mouth he could use to scream anymore.

…

At first, Link randomly found himself conscious and sometimes not, and when he finally managed to collect himself enough to understand what was happening around him, he wished he rather did not.

Because the magic he had trusted in had done its job as well as Vaati's twisted had. There were now four different Link's, but none of them were truly him.

There was an innocent and optimistic one that called himself Red, a calm and collected one named Vio, a hotheaded and aggressive one named Blue, and a focused and motivated one named Green. Each of them wore a different colored tunic in a mocking imitation of Link’s own and each of them believed to be the real Link.

And what was the first thing they did as soon as they realized their unique situation? No, they did not go after Vaati and tried to fix the mess that they had caused. Instead they started fighting each other about who was the real Link and who wasn’t.

Link would have snorted at that, had he still a nose to snort through. All of them were a tiny part of him (he was pretty sure they held most of his empathy, courage and aggression and he could not quite pinpoint what exactly Vio was, but one thing was sure: none of them got his creativity), and the rest of him was currently stuck inside the swords the boys carried around, which was frustrating, really.

Especially because Link had no one to blame for this except his own stupidity. And so, he could do nothing but watch, his sight restricted through looking through one gem in the hilts of the Four Swords at a time, and trying to sew his soul back together, bridging the gaps where chunks of himself were missing and currently running around as their somewhat own people thanks to copy and paste of his memories.

At least after a lot of discussion and a little bit of violence the four pieces managed to get themselves somewhat coordinated, with Green taking the lead and the reasoning that Link had worn green. Which was probably not the most sensible reasoning, but Link was willing to watch and wait, because they somehow got it to work. It was not like he could do anything to change that anyway.

And while he watched he really wanted to smack himself for his own stupidity sometimes. Especially after his doppelgangers managed to get themselves separated in an admittingly clever scheme of Shadow Link, thus being weakened due to the absence of the other parts. Link had to switch between who he was watching due to how many things were going on at the same time. It was nerve-grating at best.

But nothing was worse than others not knowing about his presence. Which quickly changed, too, because once that Shadow Link got Red's sword into his grimy hands, he quickly figured out that Link was within it.

And instantly started taunting him: “How the tides have changed, once a great hero sealing evil away, and now sealed away by the evil.”. Link never wished for his hands more than in that moment so he might strangle that monster. _“You’ll see what will happen once I get out of here”_ he threatened, blazing in an anger from which about half he knew had his blue clad piece gotten.

And then, when Shadow Link didn’t directly answer because he hadn’t heard the boy, both Link and his dark counterpart came to the same conclusion at the same time: Link did not currently possess a body, thus he did not have a voice and thus was forced to stay unheard. Once that realization had dawned upon the two of them, the monster threw back his head in glee and cackled for all that was worth. How truly the tides had changed.

And just to show to Link that he could, Shadow Link decided to get one of the doppelgangers, namely Vio, on his side. “Not so heroic now, hero?” he mocked once the deed was done and Green supposedly dead.

Link did not bother to answer. At first he had been angry at the apparent betrayal of himself against himself, yes, but then he had quickly started to enjoy the show, because at the “deadly fight” he instantly had realized that it had only been a fraud. Because Vio had apparently gotten every single bit of cunningness that Link had possessed and, oh, how he used it!

The feeling of the green and violet swords clashing against each other – who essential were both his body at the same time – felt incredibly weird and gave him a headache nevertheless. Words couldn’t describe how glad he was when that was over quickly.

And a part of Link really enjoyed the broken look in Shadow Link's eyes once Vio was revealed as a backstabber, for the monster had apparently truly thought the doppelganger was his friend. Sadly, he could not enjoy it for long as Vio was quickly chained to a stone pillar on a boulder in the lava with his and Red's Four Swords, for a very cruel execution. Luckily the others were quick enough to save them. Link did not want to know or even speculate about what would have happened to him if that hadn’t been the case.

And so, the four boy's journey continued, with Link a mere weapon and passenger, which was growing annoying really fast. Because he very much wanted to kill monsters himself too, thank you very much. (Though he definitely didn’t mean that he himself was to be used to kill monsters, no, thank you very much!)

Once the colored boys were led by fairies to the Four Sword Sanctuary, the maidens were luckily freed by the Four Swords' power and they took them to the Tower of Winds, where they realized they did not have all the Gem Keys they would need to enter. Link couldn't help but sigh inwardly and pray for mercy and a way to give some of his braincells to his colorful doubles.

And then they had to fight Link's own father. Granted, he was mind washed, but still...

It was the second most horrible thing Link ever had to witness, the first had been when Zelda had been turned to stone in front of him. And it was just as traumatizing.

They fought and his father thought Link’s doppelgangers had killed Link and were just another cruel illusion made by Shadow Link, so he aimed to kill, while the colored boys dodged and didn’t really want to fight. As horrible as this fight was it made Link almost feel like his father actually had cared about him. Which was really sad, if one were to look at the current situation.

Link could have cried with joy when the other knights intervened when they did. The most horrible fight Link ever had witnessed and in the end they were all beaten up and bruised but still alive.

And then the man, who had shoved his own son off upon his elderly father because he apparently couldn’t bear the resemblance to his deceased wife, looked each of the four copies into the eyes, one by one, drinking in their presence.

And then he took them all in his arms and held them tight, something that he had never done since Link had been a three-year-old.

And then, after all the time and the things that had happened, Link’s father finally said: “I’m proud of you, son.”

…

And something inside of Link broke irreversibly.

Because he hadn't said it to Link, but rather to the colored copies which he thought were his son. He didn't know any better, but still, it broke Link's heart that these boys managed to make his father proud which he alone himself never managed to do.

They were only a tiny part of him, not who he truly was. And yet they were everything his father apparently had wanted and needed to see in his son.

They were apparently the better Link.

And inside the sword, where the rest, the most of said son was, Link’s heart was shattered. And so he picked it up, shard by shard and just like his broken soul he sewed the pieces back together.

Ever since he could remember, Link had tried everything to get his father’s attention and pride. He had never succeeded.

But these…these colored Links had and they hadn’t even tried. This had never even been their goal, had it? They only wanted to save Zelda and undo the mistake Link had made, hadn’t they?

They apparently made the better sons in any case.

But because they were only small pieces of him, Link could never be like them. Which meant that he would never be the son his father wanted.

And suddenly Link found he didn’t care. Maybe he had finally gone numb, but at last he found he did not care what his father thought and wanted. Yes, he still loved him and would probably crave his affections forever, but in that simple moment he realized that Zelda, his grandfather and Ezlo mattered more, they were more important and more present in his life than his father could ever have dreamed of. They loved him and were proud of him, no matter what.

His father might not be proud then anymore, once Link was back in his body but in that single life changing moment as a silent watcher within a magical sword he found that he didn’t care anymore. He just wanted this nightmare to be over and to be safe and sound with his best friend and grandfather back home in his grandfather’s house.

And so Link watched as the knights gave the colored Links the Gem Keys and how the pieces went up the tower to fight Vaati. He watched the fight and Shadow Link's final betrayal of the dark side as he shattered the dark mirror, defeating Vaati and thus ending himself, too, in the process.

Looking back, Link had to admit that Shadow maybe hadn't been all that bad, though he still would have wished that the prick had changed sides earlier, preferably before Link had been tricked into pulling the Four Sword.

He was sure that, if given time, he would have been able to twist himself into something his father would be proud of anyway.

Plus he really wished that Shadow had had the time (and/or basic human decency) to tell the colors that Link was still there. He had seen Shadows eyes glance over to him, though he otherwise only had looked at Vio, before dissolving into the light.

And then the colored boys fought Ganon, who had suddenly appeared, and it turned out he was behind everything. Link never felt so angry as in that moment. Knowing that he had been nothing more than a play figure in Ganon’s greater scheme build up a frustration and wish to end this monster once for all which consumed every other thought. He didn’t even realize it when he started to glow.

Link only reacted once he heard the gasps of his doppelgangers. Turns out the sword (which was now kind of him) had reacted to his wish to end Ganon and ensured that they had a way: Because the light he gave off opened the dark cloud floating over Hyrule and freed Zelda.

And together with her they finally managed to defeat Ganon and seal him away in…

You probably guessed it.

His new sword-mate was easily ignored unlike the headache that was starting to build in Link’s currently non-present head. He couldn’t wait to get his body back.

So, when the four boys and the princess went to the Four Sword Sanctuary to place their swords back and become one again, Link could have cried with joy. Had he had eyes he would have rolled them at the sentimentalities the four shared before thrusting their swords downward. They were all him, after all, so if one were to ask him, they would never be separated in the first place.

And when the magic holding four who are one apart came undone, Link couldn’t help but cheer and await the healing touches on his soul, mending it back together and finally giving him his body back…

The boy and Zelda walked off, holding hands.

The boy’s shadow slyly looked back and gave the sword a grin and a thumbs-up.

And Link who was left behind within the sword couldn’t help the bloodcurdling scream that no one ever heard because he still didn’t have a mouth or even a body to do it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was received nicely. Glad you like to watch Link suffer that much. ^^  
> Have fun! *evil cackling*

_“This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening”_ Link spoke, though he did not possess a mouth to make these words heard by anyone other than him. Had he had a body, he would have been shaking.

 _“This is only just a bad dream. I’m going to wake up any second now and everything is going to be fine”_ he told himself. And he repeated this mantra for as long as he could, before he didn’t even have the strength within him to do that, because he didn’t really believe it.

Then and only then, he started cursing. Cursing the Goddesses, Fate, Vaati, Ganon, Shadow and everyone else but Zelda for his current predicament. Cursing himself for being so stupid to fall for the trap that had been laid.

Had he had fists, he would have boxed in his anger against something until his knuckles were bleeding. The raw pain would have brought him back to his senses. But alas he did not have them to ball into fists currently.

And so, he screamed himself into mental exhaustion instead.

Afterwards he wanted to bang his currently non-present head against a wall to punish himself for his stupidity. Looking back, he should never have fallen for Shadow’s threatening bluff.

_“If only I hadn’t reacted directly but first checked with others before acting. Father was right…I should have been less impulsive…if only I had listened to him this one more time…”_

Then Link sighed mentally and really wished he had his body, just so he could curl together and not feel like he was losing himself. _“If only I could talk to Zelda”_ he whispered, his whispers stayed unheard. _“She would know what to do.”_

Link had no idea how much time had passed until he finally managed to mentally clench his teeth and carry on. _“I’m still somewhat alive,_ ” he told himself. _“I can find a way out of this.”_

And he promised himself: _“I’ll figure this out. It’s just another bad situation, like that one time when I was Minish-sized and ended up in that spider’s net. I can get out of this.”_

So, he mentally nodded to himself and started the plotting of how to get out of the sword and back into his body without taking Ganon with him.

After all, how hard could something be if Vaati managed to do it within only two years and without memories?

Very hard, apparently. And even though Link didn’t have the bodily need anymore to sleep, his mind was still that of a hylian and so he found himself drifting off into something resembling sleep more often than he liked.

Finally, after who knows how long, Link had a somewhat formed plan. And the day he wanted to try this idiotic and braindead possibility of a loophole in Vaati’s and his own enchantments, something else happened.

Or to be more precise, someone came.

Apparently without Link noticing it, four months had passed since the beginning of his unwilling imprisonment. And thus, the check up on and strengthen the seal day had come.

Link stared slack jawed at his childhood friend, when she entered the sanctuary alone. She looked pretty, her dress fancier than what she usually wore, her beloved old red bow placed in her equally red hair, this time it was slightly curled.

But she looked tired, the dark rings under her eyes were dark - which might have been hidden under carefully applied makeup for others, but not for Link, who knew his best friend since they were born. He could read Zelda like a book, and she practically screamed exhaustion, even though her posture was straight and royal.

He wondered why and he wished she would tell him, so he could at least try and help her..

But she didn’t. She simply breathed in sharply and started praying:

“Dear Goddesses, thank you for these months of safety, peace and prosperity. Please strengthen the seals holding indescribable evil back and gift us in this way more months in blessed harmony in your names.”

First, nothing seemed to happen, then suddenly there was a gigantic rush of energy which overwhelmed Link completely. It felt like he just had a whole night’s sleep, bathed in a fairy fountain and could take on Vaati and Ganon and a whole army of monsters. It felt in short absolutely incredibly and overwhelming and energizing.

But when Link tried to use his found loophole to try and get out with his newly acquired strength, because this moment right there with Zelda being as a witness that it would be truly him who came out of the sword and not some monster or demon would have been perfect for his escape, he realized in shock, that his tiny loophole had just ceased to exist.

Link would have cried if he had eyes to shed tears in that moment. And then Zelda turned around and walked away, leaving him once more alone.

For about a week if Link counted the days slipping away into nights and the times, where he found himself drifting off into the sleep resembling state, he was pouting. He was sulking around and beating himself up with what ifs.

What if he had managed to try and use the loophole before Zelda had come? Would he have managed to get out? Would everything have become better? Would he have his old life back? His body?

Burying his inner dilemma under a wall of determination, Link gathered his wits back together and started analyzing the magic binding his consciousness to the sword, searching for any kind of weakness.

And once he found another one after exhaustingly searching for one month straight, he started pushing, pulling, bending, doing everything in his power to get this weakness into a hole and this hole big, bigger, big enough for him to slip through.

It was tiring and frustrating work. Only the sheer conviction that after this he would have his life back kept him motivated enough to soldier on. He worked within spirit and mind to do everything to get out and twist the spells back to what they were before Vaati ruined them.

He worked and he counted the hours and days and weeks and finally he was done, and he knew he had to be fast, for it was the night before the day of the next check-up.

And so, he forced everything he had into this attempt, breaking through enchantment after enchantment and for a precious second the by now familiar surroundings of the sanctuary disappeared and were exchanged for the ceiling of a house. His house, he knew and for a second he was able to breath, feel the pounding headache of the suddenly collapsed body.

And then his soul, caught between sword and body felt it. The soaring of a power, pushing and breaking the seal holding it there, for the very magic, the very soul of the sword had left it already halfway, enabling the evil spirit within to regain consciousness, rise and almost escape.

A heartbeat cut through the silence. A stark contrast to the roaring in his mind. Link breathed through his lungs once, basking in the feeling of being alive.

And then he left his body behind.

Returned to the sword and pushed the evil within back to where it belonged. Closed the seal, the tears within the enchantment, build up walls upon walls up and sewed the hole he had painstakingly drilled for weeks shut, his hopes of escape forever shattered.

Because he couldn’t do it. Not if it meant forcing his country, his home to suffer beneath another tyrannical villain trying to take over, again. He was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to do what was right or die trying.

And this, this was apparently his way of sacrificing himself for his home. Being stuck inside the sword he forged, caught in a semi existence between alive and not.

 _“There are worse things”_ he told himself again and again.

This time he didn’t even react when Zelda sprinted into the sanctuary followed by the maidens and a bunch of knights, under them his father. And his body.

They were all panicked. And why? Because of him.

They looked all weary as if expecting an attack the very second. When nothing came, one maiden carefully checked the seal, drifting over Link’s existence as if he wasn’t there. Maybe he wasn’t, at least not anymore.

 _“There are worse things”_ Link repeated numbly.

And then magic was pushed into him forcefully, strengthening him from within until he felt like he might burst.

And then Zelda fainted due to overuse of magic, luckily to get caught by Link’s body.

 _“At least”_ Link noted emotionlessly _“she still has them.”_

And then slowly they all left, Link staring after them and at the nasty bump on the back of his body’s head.

 _“They must have a nasty headache now”_ he thought bitterly. _“What I wouldn’t give to have this head to have a headache with now. I would have given a lot. But I cannot pay with Hyrule. Not for the consequences of my actions.”_

Link would have taken a calming breath to focus, but he didn’t have lungs anymore and would never have them again. Instead he focused on the memory of when he was able to draw a calming breath, before focusing inwards and using the magic forced into him to build Ganon a prison the monster would not escape until he faded away.

And then Link started counting once more, for he had no books to read to kill his time with. He counted the stones of the sanctuary, the flowers, the grasshalms, the stars, the insects, the birds and counted the squirrels, mice, cats and Minish running through the sanctuary, calculated their averages and placed inwardly bets of how many would come the following days.

He counted seconds, hours, days, weeks, months, anything just to not succumb to the boredom, to the killing loneliness which would slowly but surely drive him mad.

And then Zelda came once more, and Link knew a year had passed since the beginning of his life as a sword. His childhood friend looked stunning. And her beloved bow still sat in its usual place.

She smiled brightly as she spoke, her hands folded in front of her to pray:

“Dear Goddesses, thank you for this year of safety, peace and prosperity. Please strengthen the seals holding indescribable evil back and gift us in this way more years in blessed harmony in your names.”

The third time he felt the sudden surge of magical power, Link didn’t even react much anymore. He stashed the magic away to where he could access it easily if he ever needed it and waited for Zelda to leave, a deep sadness rooting itself within his nonexistent heart.

But she surprised him when she added, her smile slipping away:

“And please, give my father health once more, I beg you, Goddesses and gift my best friend the center he lost the last time he was in your service, please.”

Were those tears?

Alright, where was his useless body when he needed it to dry her tears?!

And before he could get angry at himself and whatever of him currently inhabited his body, his childhood friend had already wiped her tears away, forced a smile upon her face and left.

And left Link behind once more within the sword, willing to give an arm and a leg if only he could hug her and tell her everything was going to be fine.

And that was when the whispers started.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how you all keep suffering with Link in the reviews. Ready to hit a new lowest point?
> 
> Warning: You read the tags and rating, right? This chapter is in my personal opinion the darkest one. Don't say I didn't warn you.

_Link awoke when sunlight hit his nose and caused him to sneeze. Dazed he blinked, eyes quickly widening when he realized his unfamiliar surroundings. He was inside a room in a house he did not know, in a bed that was not his and the sun shone brightly through the opened window._

_The boy stared outside, took in his surroundings and breathed in the fresh air that came with living in the countryside. He knew what it smelled like because his grandfather had taken him there on vacation many times. The little land where this house was built was one of his favorite places in all of Hyrule. It had offered him freedom and peace and much space to play in when he was just a child, before his first adventure, before his adventures started to clip his childhood away piece by piece._

_Mind still racing about what was happening, failing to comprehend what exactly was currently occurring, for all he last knew he had been somewhere completely else, Link failed to notice the entrance of another person into the room, until they greeted him: “Good Morning, Link! I was sure that sneeze was yours, so I figured you were awake. You should get up, breakfast is done.”_

_Links head whipped around in its own accord and a silent gasp escaped him, when he realized who he saw. The red bow in her equally red hair gave her identity just as quickly away as her face did, though her clothes were a lot different than usual, because they were those of a commoner. It was off-putting in Link’s mind to see Zelda in something as simple as this, because even though his best friend usually wore simpler dresses than the average princess would, she never wore anything like a commoner would, for it would give her poor father a heart-attack to see his daughter in something that worthless. Zelda had never shared her father’s sentiment._

_But still…_

_The smile Zelda had worn while entering the room slowly slipped away and she paled. “Link?” she asked quietly. “Can you do me a favor and get up? Please?”_

_Why was her voice shaking?_

_Link nodded and obediently hefted his upper body up with the help of his arms, sitting up and clumsily swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Then he got to his feet, only to suddenly lose his balance. A silent scream escaped his throat and he threw out his arms to catch himself._

_Luckily, they weren’t needed, as Zelda was already there and helped to steady him on shaking legs. In her eyes glistened unshed tears._

_Why wouldn’t his own limbs listen to him? Why was his coordination gone? What happened?_

_The last thing he remembered was…oh._

_“Link” Zelda spoke up tonelessly. “Tell me, what is the last thing you remember?”_

_“I am a sword…” Link spoke, breaking his silence. “I am supposed to be a sword. I shouldn’t be able to move at all…how? What happened? Zelda? Please tell me, what is happening?”_

_Zelda quietly shook her head, at a loss for words. Then she fought with herself to get the next words out: “Don’t worry, I’ll explain. But not here. Downstairs. Please, breakfast is ready. The others are waiting downstairs. Can you walk?”_

_“I will try” Link promised, mind reeling. “But I haven`t moved in about a year so I'm a bit rusty…”_

_“Don’t worry” Zelda assured him. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be right here, by your side, to help you through this.”_

_Link nodded and together they carefully made their way out of the room. Zelda guided him through an unfamiliar corridor with four doors and carefully helped him maneuver down the stairs, along another corridor in a warm and inviting living room, in which a table stood with all sorts of food was placed on, five chairs, with only two left empty._

_In the chairs there sat Zelda’s father, he looked better than the last time Link remembered seeing him, Link’s grandfather, a content smile on face, and Link’s father, who was sipping on a glass of fresh milk._

_Right then and there, in Zelda’s arms, Link could have stood forever, happily watching this scene. This peace and contentment had been what he always had been fighting for._

_But alas, this picture of harmony broke through a sigh of Zelda. Everyone’s eyes instantly went to her before she spoke saddened: “Link had another relapse.”_

_Link stared slack jawed at how the seated men instantly jumped up and were within a few steps near them. Their sheer fear and worry were written all over their faces. The worst of all of them was surprisingly Link’s father, who seemed to be fighting back tears._

_“Link” he asked carefully. “What is the last thing you remember?”_

_Link stared, too shaken for words._

_Zelda sighed before answering for him: “He remembers his first year within the sword.”_

_Gasps all around, before Link’s grandfather spoke up: “He’s lost the last two years, again? Okay, that`s okay. It`s not as bad as the other times.”_

_“Give the boy some credit” Zelda’s father finally spoke up. “He’s been through tougher stuff. He’ll be fine soon.”_

_“I hope so” Zelda muttered. “And it had to be today of all days.”_

_“Why?” Link asked. “What is happening today? What other times? I do not understand.”_

_“Today Ezlo had planned to visit. But that is not important right now. How do you feel, son?” Link flinched at the mention of the tiny Minish mage. But especially it was so strange to see so much concern, devotion and sheer love in his father’s eyes._

_And that was when Link realized that this situation was too good to be true. It was all one big illusion, a lie. Because he knew he would not see Ezlo again, at least not for the next 95 years, when the door between their realms would open once more._

_“This…this is only a dream” he whispered, feeling like getting plunged into cold water. “None of this is real.” Zelda looked at him and frowned: “What are you talking about, Link? Of course it’s real!”_

_“No, it’s not!” Link became agitated and shoved the image of his friend away: “This…this right here is too perfect. A simple, content life in harmony, everyone I care about safe, sound and happy right here around me…Hyrule in peace…it’s not real, for me at least because to have it for you, I must be stuck inside that sword guarding evil! No, nothing of this is real! It’s only an illusion!”_

_And Link winced when a horrible headache bloomed up, which left him gasping for breath, and the scene around him bled away to an endless grey void. His knees gave in and he fell and hit the invisible ground hard, seemingly floating within the infinite grey._

_He looked up alarmed when he heard steps nearing him: **“But it could be.”**_

_Link’s eyes widened when he saw the man in front of him instead the pig-monster he expected. The man was dark skinned, had fiery red hair and wore ornate clothes. His voice was smooth like oil and his tone demanded authority: **“Everything you just saw could become real, if you let me out. I can give you your body back, I will make sure everyone you care about will be happy and safe and sound. Under my reign Hyrule would have an era of peace and prosperity. There would never be wars again. Everyone would be content, and you will have your life back. Isn’t that wonderful, little hero? All you have to do is let me out.”**_

_Link crossed his arms and hoped he did not look like he was falling apart from the inside, because only the feeling of having his arms listening to his command and move was enough to make him want to cry. He breathed in and the illusion of the void gave him stale air and it was not nice, but it was good because he was breathing and…_

_“No, Ganon” he said, voice firm despite his shaking body._

_The man raised a mocking eyebrow: **“Actually, now that I have healed and calmed down, it is Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. But that does not matter now, for I thought I heard a no?”**_

_“Yes, I said no” Link repeated, glad that his voice was not leaving him this time. Forcing his legs into cooperation, he found his balance and stood, facing Ganondorf. “No, because what you say is nothing more than hot air. Hyrule will suffer and fall if it is not reigned over by a member of the royal family who has the blood of the goddess. It’s what the history books always warn us about.”_

_Ganondorf became angry at that, unused to his will not being followed: **“That is all only propaganda of the royal family! I can reign better and fairer than all of them put together! In defying me you are making a mistake, little hero.”**_

_“My answer is no, and nothing will change that,” Link repeated firmly._

**_“Then watch your precious Hyrule burn”_ ** _Ganondorf said and the scene twisted anew._

_Link’s legs gave in, because he did not have legs to support him any longer and he fell face first down. He tried to throw out his arms to catch his fall with his arms, but this was impossible, because he did not have arms any longer. And so he fell, and he heard the sound of metal hitting stone. He was a sword once more._

_He heard screams of pain and fear, sobbed goodbyes of loved ones. The fire prickling as it ate away Castle town. And then suddenly he was lifted, up, up, up and swung against a monster, only to shatter. It hurt so much, but the person who used him – his body he realized, he could see again – had it a lot worse for the monster gorged them instantly._

_And then Zelda came, running and bleeding, her dress in tatters, her precious bow missing, and she still picked him up and continued running. She ran past mangled corpses of people he knew and loved and every single moment burned itself into his heart. And then Zelda fell, exhaustion catching up to her and his shattered little pieces slipped over cold, unforgiving floor._

_And then gigantic black boots stepped into his line of vision, beneath them blood and gore and there hung a tiny Minish hand…oh no, no, no!_

_Ganondorf kicked him away and the broken sword skittered across the bloodied floor. Link could only watch as the man packed his childhood friend up by her throat, her legs weakly kicking out and hands grasping the wrist of the hand choking her._

**_“Last chance, hero”_ ** _Ganondorf mocked._

_And Link closed his metaphorical eyes and shook his metaphorical head, desperately clinging to the last strands of his sanity which threatened to slip away. “This is not real” he chanted, over and over again, even though the resounding sound of a breaking bone sounded too real._

_Searching for the energy within, he found it and with it he calmed himself. “This only in my mind” he said. And when he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor, he started chanting – because he didn’t know anything else – an old children’s song, to focus himself on anything other than Ganondorf’s cruel illusion:_

_“This is the song that never ends. Yes, it goes on and on my friends,” he sung as loudly as he currently could with an at first shaking voice._

**_“What are you doing, boy?!”_ ** _thundered Ganondorf, annoyance and anger radiating off him in waves._

_Link’s voice didn’t even waver this time: “Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was…”_

And the spell was broken. The horrid illusion bled away to reveal the sanctuary at night, Ganondorf’s power wavering and disappearing back behind the wall Link had built between them. Link could feel Ganondorf’s hate and quickly drew upon the magical reserves he had built up thanks to the repeated strengthening of the seal to reinforce the wall between them.

 ** _“You’ll regret this. You will stay a sword forever”_** Ganondorf vowed, his voice receding into whispers. Whispers which had drawn Link in his loneliness in like a flame would a moth. But this time the whispers were not promises of a bright future if a pact would be made, this time the whispers were of darkness, chaos and death. **_“You’re not even hylian anymore, are you? There is someone out there who is you much better than you ever could. You are worthless. A failure. You’re just a magical sword. And you’ll be a stupid little sword when you finally rust away…”_**

 _“…and they will continue singing it forever just because: This is the song that never ends…”_ Link soldiered on as Ganondorf’s whispers finally receded and went quiet.

But Link didn’t stop there. He continued strengthening the wall with all he had, singing the song until he finally drifted off, having not the strength to keep going any longer…

When he awoke, he saw Zelda leaving the sanctuary and sighed inwardly. And then he started counting anew, trying to get a sense of normality back into the screwed excuse of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the next episode of "Let's make Link suffer". Hope you enjoy! ^^ *discretely pours oil into the flame*

A cat proudly strolled, shiny and long fur fluffed up, up and down. A voiceless voice commented on the animal’s actions: _“And here we`ve got Oliver, the king of house cats. He’s got starting number one, of course, he’s the viewer’s favorite after all. So let’s see how much chance he’s got of scoring with the Ladies.”_

As if on command another cat sprinted into the sanctuary and threw itself hissing and spitting on the first _. “Oho, spicy, we’ve got another competitor. Starting number two, we present the legendary Legs, who’s the president of the alley cats. Those two are bitter enemies, who is going to be the winner? Place your bets, folks, the fight is going strong!”_

Then a third cat entered the sanctuary, short haired, but fur still well kept, another cat with an owner apparently. Link had become pretty good at differentiating between the two kinds, if he may say so. _“And ohhhh! Look, there she is, the one they’re both fighting for. Aurora, the Lady of the Cats. Both kinds, actually. That’s why so many are after her. Now that she’s there our two competitors are going to give everything to impress her. And oh! Fight they do!”_

Cat number two managed to land a hit on cat number one hard, which caused the fluffy thing to make himself scarce: _“Ouch, that looked like it hurt. But Ladies and Gentlemen we’ve got a winner! I present to you proudly the legendary Legs! Now how is Aurora going to react?”_

Said cat was not impressed. When the alley cat neared she hissed, swatted him on his head and left. _“Ugh, that must have hurt our poor tiger. How will he ever get back to his old ways after this heartbreak?”_ Link continued, amused.

The alley cat glanced his way briefly, as if having heard him, flicked his tail and left, probably chasing after his wanted.

Link winced in mock shock: _“Well, someone can’t take a hint. How will this week’s drama play out? Join us live here for next week’s catfight!”_

Then he stopped. Sighed if he had a throat and would have shaken his head if he had a head.

 _“So I guess this is my life now, huh? Commenting on catfights are the highlight of my week”_ Link muttered out loud, not that anyone would ever hear his voice because he didn’t have one. _“And now, listen to me. I have started talking to myself because no one else hears me.”_

A slight ache in the back of his metaphorical head made him pause, before adding cheekily: _“Currently sealed away supervillains do not count!”_ The headache intensified. Link grimaced inwardly before starting: _“This is the…”_ The headache was gone.

Link clapped himself mentally on the shoulder and grinned inside: If he had known he had to sing that annoying children’s song a few thousand times to get Ganondorf to leave him and maybe Hyrule alone, he would have done so ages ago!

He wished he had the hands to write this realization down, his mental book “How to defeat Supervillains in ten easy steps” would have become the bestseller of all ages. Sadly he didn’t and so he quickly changed his mental topic before he could walk down that depressing road any further.

Because today he had to be on his mental best, because today Zelda would come and visit him again (he ignored the fact religiously that she only came to check up on the seal holding Ganondorf who she still thought was still Ganon and to strengthen said seal, while she was actually strengthening him because he was the magical sword and his soul was basically the seal).

610 days, which is one year and eight months had passed he was forced into the sword. They had been long, boring and sometimes horrible days, but Link had managed. He had even come out stronger, he thought. And maybe he might have lost a few eggs out of his cucco’s nest on the way. But he was fine now. Well, mostly. He was still stuck as a sword after all.

And he was going to celebrate his fourteenth birthday in two months. Last year he had missed it in his misery, too focused on everything else than that. Maybe Ganondork would even gift him a nice illusion of having a body again…

…but nah. Better not. That was not something he wanted. He wanted Hyrule to have peace and if he had to be a sword to accomplish that…well him dying of boredom was better than Hyrule dying because of another villain. And having his body back, even if it was just in an illusion would set him mentally about at least four months back – which had been times he was not willing to relive. Nope, not for any illusion in the world.

Anyway, the sun had already dawned, so it would only be another few hours until his best friend would come to visit him. He had so much to tell her, she’s been missing out on so much (actually it was the other way around but Link was not willing to think about that little tidbit, that would set him back about three months, four days and two hours, so no thanks) and he had therefore so much to tell her.

And so he mentally prepared his mighty monologue that would blow his friend away if she ever heard it and started counting the cobblestones of the way leading from the entrance of the sanctuary to the stone where he was lodged in (because he was the sword now, wasn’t he? Not a boy, a sword and probably forever, better to accept that now than never and he was fine with it – he was not, yes, he was – no arguments there. This was fine.).

 _“Stop saying you’re fine, when you’re not”_ memory Zelda chided and Link couldn’t help the mental grin, for he truly was fine, he was not bleeding all over the floor right now, after all. He would probably never bleed again, and that was fine, too, because he was a stupid sword he forged himself right now and not a boy, no, never a boy again, but this was fine, too.

Link was fine.

The cobblestones were still 1356 and so Link started counting the grasshalms. But they were a little too hard to count because they continued to move thanks to the wind and so Link started counting the seconds once more.

 _"20, 19, …"_ he hummed and giddiness rose within him. _"...3, 2, 1...showtime!"_

Excited he looked to the entrance of the sanctuary, but it stayed empty. Had he miscounted?

 _"3, 2, 1…"_ he repeated, his metaphorical eyes firmly fixed upon the entrance.

A beat of silence passed.

And still there was no Zelda.

For a moment Link felt almost panicked, because Zelda never came late and especially not for something as important as checking upon the seal. Then he stopped and forced himself to calm down.

Zelda was not late. She never was late. He simply must have miscounted because Zelda came at point blank 12 every four months.

He must have miscounted because if he didn't then something horrible had probably happened to Zelda and he had no way to help her.

But if he had miscounted it meant he had lost the last thing he still had in his life. The numbers had given him a way to ground himself as boring as they were. But losing another thing about himself was better than having something happen to Zelda. Link would take this any day if it meant his best friend was safe.

Luckily, before Link could ponder more upon that depressing topic and lose more of his already fragile sanity, Zelda rushed into the sanctuary. Her dress was crusted with flour and sugar of all things and she had a chocolate beard. Her red bow even had some dough on it.

"Sorry, I'm late" she babbled and Link had to do a mental double take, because wow, Zelda had been late and she hadn't been in any danger. Then why had she been late? That was so untypical from little Miss Punctuality. How the tables had turned. She used to chide him all the time if he ever was late and now she was late herself for such an important event as checking upon the seal?

If Zelda ever heard him again, Link would never let her forget this. Though it made him curious on why his friend had been so late.

As if reading his thoughts, the princess stepped closer, carefully brushing off some of the mess she had made of herself and spoke: "I'm sorry I'm late, really sorry. But now I shall renew and strengthen the seal once more with your help, oh, great and kind goddesses."

And so Zelda folded her hands and began to pray: “Dear Goddesses, thank you for these times of safety, peace and prosperity. Please strengthen the seals holding indescribable evil back and gift us in this way more times in blessed harmony in your names.”

Link mentally grit his teeth and held his ground even as the wave of magical energy nearly threatened to drown him, before slowly sinking in and making him feel intoxicated. The ex-boy quickly grabbed what he could and stuffed it into the reserves and walls, needing to clear his head before Zelda left so he may say properly goodbye this time.

 _"Alright, little Miss Punctual, now that the prayer is done, how about telling me why you're late?"_ he asked sarcastically knowing all too well that she wasn't going to answer.

Only to be positively surprised when she did, kind of: "Excuse me again, that I was late. It's just...Wheaton and Pita celebrate their firstborn with an all-you-can-eat buffet and I was just so much in sugary heaven that I forgot my duty. And now I really have to go, because otherwise there will be nothing left for me thanks to Four. He really has developed a strong appetite. Maybe he finally got his long awaited growth spurt."

Link gave a mental blink: _"Four? Who's that Four? Who names their kid after a number?"_

"Farewell" Zelda said and hurried away.

 _"Bye, Zelda, I hope I'll see you soon"_ Link answered and if he had a voice it would have been barely above a whisper.

Then he was alone again and had enough time to ponder. And then he realized that he should have known the kid Zelda mentioned based on the growth spurt information. Which meant he must have forgotten him.

And with dread he remembered the amnesiac Vaati after being stuck two years within the sword.

Then Link realized that in a few months he would be stuck two years as the sword. Which apparently meant by the two year mark he'd end up with his memory as empty as an unwritten page.

Dread crept upon him and he would have felt sick if he wasn't made of steel. His memories were precious to him and they were the only thing he still had that made him Link. If he forgot who would be Link?

His body. The answer was cold and clear. His body would be Link with the small four parts still within using it like a meatpuppet. For the world that would truly be true once he forgot and was nothing more than a sword.

Link refused to forget. He wouldn't. Because who was he without his memories?

No one, that's who.

A sword, magical or not, was not a person. It was an object. Link would stop being a person and truly be only the object he was.

 _"That won't happen"_ Link vowed and then he desperately started recounting everything he knew, everything he ever lived through. It turned into a prayer like chant, repeating itself from when he woke up until he fell to mental exhaustion.

Link would not forget. He would treasure everything, from the words Ezlo taught him so may even shrink once they would not be able to see each other again for a very long time to the moment where his grandfather taught him how to smith to even one unimportant sentence he had read in a book for school.

Link would hold all of this close and treasure it until he couldn't. Every day, every waking moment.

He would not lose his memories.

He would not lose himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drops chapter bomb*

Sometimes Link dreamed. When he awoke he wouldn't always remember what he dreamed about, but most times when he did it would be memories or flashes of things he used to do daily, be it smithing, training or spending time with Zelda. What he saw often had no context but they did give him a taste of what he had lost.

Link wasn't sure if he hated these dreams or not. He wasn't even sure how he still dreamed, he didn't have a body that could sleep after all and his mind only rested when mental exhaustion got too bad.

But in any way these flashes of memories and normalcy gave him seconds of feeling real and they reminded him of what he had lost, motivating him to keep going for those he knew needed him to hold the seal upright. So he would carry on.

When he awoke he would start recounting everything he remembered, so he would never forget. Then he would check on the seal and the walls he had built. After he would start counting or comment on things he saw.

It was a dry and boring routine, but it gave him a sense of normalcy and rhythm. It grounded him in the reality he found himself in and he assumed that this would be his routine until the day his spirit left this realm of existence.

His fourteenth birthday Link spent recounting past birthdays into the littlest details and musing about how someone would throw him a party if someone ever found about his current situation.

He daydreamed about someone coming by day by day telling him stories and just being there for him, so he may feel like himself, feel like the teenager he actually was, once more.

And he realized that slowly but surely he had started craving human contact. But he refused to give in even as the usual metaphorical headache built up once more.

Instead he spent a good hour rapping "the song that never ends" up and down just because he could. Ganondorf's tortured pleas for him to stop were the highlight of his day.

The day after he went back to his usual routine. It was boring but this was now his life.

About two months later the second anniversary of his life as a sword rolled around. Link had been very excited for about a week, yearning to see his best friend and only constant in both of his life's again.

Their contacts might be brief and one sided but Link would treasure them nevertheless. They were the highlights of his new life.

If he had had a body capable of movement he would have been positively vibrating with energy by the time the twelfth hour finally rolled around.

And there she was, punctual in all her glory, and Link threw her his happiest mental _"Hello, Zelda! It's so good to see you again!"_ never mind the fact that she couldn't hear him.

He wanted to continue, to ask her so many questions she would never get to answer. But seeing her step into the light of the sanctuary cut his rant short. The moment his eyes (though he did not have any) landed on her, he stopped. Concern flooded his very being and flushed any excitement he had had away.

Zelda looked like a mess. If Link wouldn't have known her for as long as he did and could thus read her like a book he wouldn't have noticed, because for outsiders she looked well put together. But Link knew his friend and so he instantly realized that his best friend looked like she had died, been buried, came back to life and dug herself out of her grave all on her own.

She wore a fine, regal looking black dress and had perfectly made makeup. But below all of this he could see her shaking, the bags she had beneath her eyes and how red they were. She had been crying, Link realized.

But what really set off alarm bells within his mind was her missing red bow, which had been replaced by a glittering diadem. Zelda never took off her bow, never. Not even for sleeping. And the addition of the black dress, the bags beneath her red cried eyes and the diadem told the rest of the story.

The king had at last lost the fight against his sickness. Zelda was queen now.

And how heavy looked the burden of the fate of a country placed now upon these grieving thin shoulders.

Why was she all alone with no one by her side to hold her, a friendly shoulder for her to cry on? Why was no one there, willing to lend a helping hand in these times of grief?

Where was his stupid body? They should at least have the common sense not to let Zelda in this time of grief to suffer alone. Link could see her tremble beneath the invisible burden now placed upon her.

She was a strong young woman. Link knew that, better than probably anyone else. But even the strongest needed someone to help hold their burdens in time of terrible grief.

And if the fact that someone newly orphaned was directly made to reign over a country was not defined as terrible burden in time of grief, Link did not know what was.

But still, there Zelda was, stronger than anyone else soldiering on in times of grief, all alone, placed with a terrible burden.

She folded her hands as she stepped closer to the Four Sword and began to pray, voice burdened but strong and ongoing, just like the new queen was: “Dear Goddesses, thank you for all these peaceful times under your protection and the guiding you have done for us in the last two years, even in hard times. Please strengthen the seals holding indescribable evil back and gift us in this way more years under your protection and guidance in your names.”

Link held himself against the magical power threatening to drown him out and stashed everything away, hyper focused on what his best friend would say and do next.

Silence, then a sob: "Please guide these who have suffered loss and those who have lost their life's so all of us may live a life under your protection in safety, peace and happiness."

And there were the tears.

Where was his goddesses trice damned body when Link really, really needed them to dry Zelda's tears? Where was his mouth when he needed it to give his friend kind words of encouragement and support? Where were his arms when he needed them to just hold her and allow her to cry herself out and where were his legs that could guide her to a place where she was allowed to grief in peace without prying eyes that would judge her for any sign of supposed weakness?

What could he do now, as he just sat there as a dumb sword lodged deep and unmovable within icy stone, void of body, mouth, arms or legs?

He could go mad. Grieving for himself, his friend, the king and for all they had lost.

He couldn't. He wouldn't. He refused.

People once called him a hero. Heroes were normally defined as people who put their own needs behind others to help them or beat impossible odds to save the people they loved. There were so many things that defined heroes.

He used to be one, in his old life as a boy. In his new life as a sword none had dared to call him a hero yet (well, beside Ganondorf but the guy didn't count). Because now he was a stupid magical sword, used as a weapon and a seal. No one knew he existed in the form that he did. He was a simple mindless magical tool to be used.

And he was nothing that could stop the young queen's tears. A fourteen year old who was crumbling under the grief and burden now placed upon her with no way out.

Link couldn't watch this. He wouldn't. He refused.

And so he screamed and called out, spoke every word of comfort he knew. All of them were words Zelda would never get to hear because he did not have the anatomy needed to make the words heard.

And everything was only because he was currently stuck as a sword, which would probably be the case for the rest of forever.

And when Zelda was done crying she spoke a few magic words and suddenly the red cried eyes were gone, as were the bags beneath them. She looked sad but firm and stone faced, her crumbling self hidden beneath a finely crafted mask of magic.

Had Link not just seen her breaking apart as he had he would have thought she was fine. Sad but fine, nothing that time and the occasional kind word wouldn't be able to fix. And Link understood the reason why his body had not been trailing after her, shadowing her and lending her strength because to everyone outside the sanctuary it looked like Zelda would be strong enough to cope with this herself.

Which was the biggest lie of the century as Link now knew. Zelda was crumbling under grief and pressure with no one knowing they should help her due to a clever and inconspicuous illusion. This, this right there, was slowly killing his best friend and she wouldn't allow herself to be helped by anyone due to sheer stubbornness and pride.

The one reigning over a country cannot be seen as weak, for it makes the country look weak. It was a lesson drilled into every royal family member since birth and Zelda had often complained to Link how it secretly hurt her father, back when they were both unburdened children. She had hated this rule so much and Link, being the proud little boy he had been back then had never understood.

But now he did, and he realized how Zelda must have felt seeing her father suffer and being unable to do anything noteworthy against it. She had always hated that rule. And yet here she was, following it nevertheless and Link, the only person who knew about her true feelings, was helpless to do anything against it. Was this how Zelda had felt when he had brushed her off in childish ignorance, saying that her father looked fine so he was fine?

And as the young queen stood and went to leave, Link knew that the last thing he still had would soon come crashing down burning. Because he knew her, she would deny and ignore her grief but everything would continue to build up and destroy her, if she wasn't helped, cave her out and drain her spirits until there was nothing but an empty shell left.

And Link was unable to do anything but watch and suffer with her from afar.

No!

That was unacceptable! Link couldn't, wouldn't, refused to take this as given fate. He might be a goddesses trice damned magical sword now, but he wouldn't take the self imposed destruction Zelda willingly put herself through for nothing but...what was it? Pride? Mourning?

Link didn't know, and in that moment he didn't care, for Zelda started to leave. And he could not do a single thing to stop and help her.

Unknown desperation filled him. If Zelda continued down this path there was no telling for how long she would be able to keep this up until her spirit broke and her body followed. Without any support in her current state it was clear that Zelda was fighting a losing fight. No one would be able to hold the weight she willingly placed upon herself. And Zelda was already the strongest person Link ever met.

This was madness and despair made place for determination. And so he called out to her, prayed to the goddesses and collected every single spare strand of magic and focused it, calling her name: _"Zelda! You've got to stop! You'll drive yourself into the ground on the current path you are on! You have to listen to me, I know what I'm talking about! This grief is destroying you, let it out! Listen to me! Zelda, stop!"_

She was already at the exit of the sanctuary. Would this be the last time he saw her and not a mere broken reflection?

_"Zelda!"_

Magic surged through him, like a light banning the dark. Link embraced, drowned himself in it and then he pushed the light outward, only half aware that he had started glowing:

"ZELDA!"

…

"...Link...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *leaves cackling evily*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So folks, Link can talk! What's he gonna do?

Magic surged through him, like a light banning the dark. Link embraced, drowned himself in it and then he pushed the light outward, only half aware that he had started glowing:

"ZELDA!"

…

And then, standing in the entrance of the sanctuary, Zelda finally paused. It was almost too much to hope for. Had the goddesses heard his prayers and gave her awareness that this couldn't go on?

But then Zelda turned around, wide eyed, and her mouth opened to form a single question: "...Link...?"

…

Had Link still had a physical heart it would have skipped a beat right then and there.

This, this was impossible? Had she...heard him?

Zelda meanwhile was looking around, scanning every surface of the sanctuary wide eyed. "Is that you? What are you doing here? Come out! This isn't funny!"

She had heard him! How was this possible after all this time?

"Zelda?" he asked, quietly, not daring to speak louder, lest that he broke the illusion. "Can you really hear me?"

Had he finally gone mad to imagine this wonderful twist of fate?

"Yes, yes, I can hear you. Of course I can. Why wouldn't I? Where are you hiding? This is freaking me out. What did you do to the Four Sword? It's glowing. How much did you see? Come on, stop this childish hiding! This isn't funny, I know you're here! Come out!"

And Zelda rushed into the middle of the sanctuary, turned around herself and tried to spy her friend.

"No, really, you've got to stop! This is freaking me out! Come here, right now, or I am going to be really angry! Four, stop it!"

Wonder was replaced by annoyance. Because no matter how much Link had broken his head over this mysterious person, he couldn't remember him.

"Why do you assume I am that Four guy you keep mentioning?" Link muttered, a pout easily heard in the tone of his voice. How that even worked he didn't know, but he didn't dare to question the circumstances lest this magic broke.

Zelda meanwhile suddenly tensed, her eyes narrowing and her body stiffened: "You're not Four?"

"Of course not, why would I? I'm still Link and I'm still as stuck in the stupid sword as I have been for the past two years."

When Zelda's face hardened and she made her way over to the sword, Link's irritation only grew: "Yeah, go on, ignore me, like you did the last two years. That's fine."

When she stood in front of the sword, Link felt her testing the seal hesitantly with her magic, which must be very draining, because what little color her magical mask had given her was gone within seconds.

"What are you doing, Zel? Do you think I'm Ganondork trying to talk you into releasing him?"

Zelda didn't even bat an eyelash: "Yes."

"Wow, thanks for the faith" Link answered sarcastically. "You can stop now, by the way. The seal is fine and you look like you're about to keel over. Even your fancy mask can't help you there."

"Why should I believe a word you say, Ganon?" Zelda snapped at that.

"Cause I'm not that guy!" Link snapped, done with everything. "The past two years he's the only person I could communicate with and every single second of it he tried psychological torture methods to get me to release him. I'm done with him. And I'm done with you ignoring me. You can distrust me all you want and I'll go back to being silently stuck in this stupid sword but first you're going to promise me that you will let my stupid body and whatever of me that is in there help you through your grief, cause right now you're killing yourself inside. You always lamented how your father has handled his problems. Don't do the same and leave me to lament you."

While Link ranted, Zelda's eyes had widened and her mouth had slowly opened to form a perfect little 'o'. Link meanwhile could feel his power draining, the talking and glowing taking more out of him than he would have expected.

"So yeah, stop destroying yourself, get help, that's healthy and now I'm going to go back to being unheard and you can go back to ignoring me, ‘cause talking to you is very draining and you look like you're going to fall over every minute. Go home, catch some sleep and then talk. Just talk. Don't bottle it up. That's really unhealthy. Talk about your problems. And...thanks by the way, for your visits. They are the highlights in my otherwise now very boring life cause you're still my best friend."

And thus Link quietened as magical exhaustion hit him, his glow dimmed until it died and he fell into a deep slumber, Zelda's wide eyes fixated upon him the last thing he saw, her mouth forming his name silently.

...

When he awoke, it was to Zelda's warm magic filling him and raising him from his slumber. She stood there, silently staring at him, her hands glowing. When she realized he had awoken, the glow stopped.

"Link?" she asked almost voicelessly.

 _"Yes?"_ he answered voiceless.

Zelda chewed on her lower lip in thought and Link had the time to take his childhood friend's appearance in. She looked a lot better than she had when he had seen her last, whenever that had been.

Or maybe she had put even more effort into her appearance than she had last time. Link wouldn't know, sadly.

Finally she spoke up, voice thoughtful: "I thought yesterday was only a dream brought by exhaustion, but now that I have finally slept it still feels like a somewhat strange memory. Are you really there, Link?"

Well, he had at least only lost about a day and this, this right there was the chance he had waited for, so he collected what spare magic he could without keeling over right after. The sword started glowing as he said: "Yes."

Zelda nodded, her mouth forming a frown when his glow instantly after died. "It is tiring for you to talk, isn't it? Don't answer, I can feel your exhaustion from where I stand. Even when you came to get me after fighting Vaati you weren't as tired. When we're going to communicate we have to find a way without you killing yourself just to speak a few words."

Link knew if he had a face, he would be pouting a little and Zelda knew it apparently too, if one were to judge her by her smile and the mischievous glint in her green eyes. But what really warmed his currently non present heart was that Zelda had said when and not if. Zelda had planned to get him properly talking again and when his friend planned something it would always, always succeed. This was more than what Link could have hoped for when he had managed to call her out for her destructive behavior.

Zelda meanwhile had started to reach out with her magic to test the waters and figure out how to help him. Link quietly watched her until she finally stopped and stated: "The magic upon the sword is twisted. Every time you try anything you would be able to do with a normal body it keeps trying to erase you, thus you subconsciously use magic to counter it. But because you are currently basically made of magic, you get very quickly very tired and weakened. I'm going to go check the library and see what I can do. But I can't help but wonder how I only realized now that the magic got twisted."

Link would have liked to answer to that, but as he currently couldn't, he settled for thoughtful silence. Zelda, probably noticing his frustration gave a small smile: "Hey, don't worry, I'm better now and I won't run myself ragged. Promise. I did talk to Four though, as you have advised. It helped. So thank you."

Link's eyes would have widened with understanding if he had them. Four was apparently not a person he had forgotten, but a new name his body had taken on.

"He hasn't named himself Link?" he sputtered, the words breaking out from him before he could stop himself, the result left him almost falling asleep again.

Zelda frowned and lifted her hands to give him some more of her magic while she gently corrected: "They. Four is they, as in plural. And yes, they know they're not you so they haven't named themselves as you."

Four, huh? That was still a bit of a strange name, but it kind of made sense now that Link knew the reason behind it. So the four colours still existed? But how did they operate his/their body? Shared custody, exchanging control or semi togetherness? They weren't a whole person, and if he was truthful, Link wasn't, either. But he still had more of himself than all Four of them together had. He could work as a complete person, his soul was stitched together on the edges, where pieces of it had been ripped away, by a lot of hope and determination.. What about them? Had they managed to stitch their soul pieces together?

Zelda had paused which had given Link the chance to think before her eyes suddenly lightened up: "Goddesses! They knew they were broken, that something was missing and it's been you! And you were here all the time! When they hear about this they'll…"

"No!" Link interrupted, the action draining him, but determination carrying him on. "They cannot know."

"Why?" Zelda asked, before shaking her head. "No, don't answer now, first I'll figure out a way to untwist this magic. Just give me some time. And then you'll explain to me why you want to hide this from yourselves. You better have a good reason…"

She didn't need to finish her sentence. Link knew her, if she didn't judge his reason as good enough she'd march to Four right away and tell them where he was and who he was.

Link would have loved telling them, but once he had a second to think, it was a really bad idea. He was still the only thing standing between Ganondorf and his freedom, thus were Link to leave the sword Ganondorf would be free to leave his prison.

And if he were to tell Four now, there was a high chance they would - knowing himself - try everything to be whole again...which Link couldn't let happen or he would doom Hyrule.

Ignorance truly was bliss in this case. He imagined the parts of himself being so close to each other, so close to coming together and shuddered. It would be worse to have his living breathing body near himself and be unable to get into it.

Also, he had changed a lot, if he were to be honest. He was a sword now, after all and he was quite sure he had lost some sanity on the way to the person he was now. So would they even still fit together? Goddesses, the thought alone was nightmare fodder for the next few months.

Because if he didn't fit then...then what? He was a sword, would always stay a sword and better not risk it. These Four were more worth than he was, anyway. They were four after all, while he was only one. One single, very much broken part.

And if he did fit and manage to leave, who'd take his part to stop Ganondorf from leaving? Someone would have to take his place.

And this, if Link was to be honest, was a fate worse than death. He wouldn't force anyone to go through what he had to suffer. He was less worth than them, anyway. He was only a broken little boy, a sword, after all. Not even a complete person. They were four and he was only one and his father had been proud of them and not him.

No, he couldn't tell them, no matter what. Ignorance was bliss for them.

Suddenly someone touched his hilt. Shooting up from his thoughts he barely managed to catch a flash of strawberry before arms were all around him.

He was being hugged.

He didn't have a body, he was just a stupid magic sword sealing great evil away and yet he still got hugged. And it felt so good and goddesses knew how much he had missed this, the physical contact...the comfort, the warmth...

He searched for words, but didn't find any. Zelda let go, and winced when she accidentally cut herself slightly on his sharp blade. Instantly Link was burying her in apologies that she didn't listen to.

"Hush" she said. "This didn't hurt at all, stop beating yourself up. I'm fine. We'll find a way to fix this. Don't worry. And you needed this hug, I know you. Don't argue."

He did argue, but without speaking out loud, knowing that even if she heard him out loud regarding this, she'd ignore him.

"Also fine, cause you have your reasons I won't tell for now. But once I get you properly talking again, they better be good. Take care, Link, I'll come back soon. But now I need to raid our library first."

And she left smiling and Link was left behind for now.

 _"Don't worry, Zelda"_ he whispered sincerely. _"I won't move from my spot."_

And then he started counting again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, last chapter already? Well, can't change that now. A hug and a thank you for everyone who reviewed and gave kudos and stuck around from beginning to end.  
> Fun fact: I started to write the story back in January but this chapter was the one to fight me every step of the way which is why I can only post it now. Hope you enjoy this little monster!

From then on, Zelda visited every day, bringing updates from her research. Apparently the topic of magic swords was broader than she had expected but unluckily no one ever had bothered to write anything about twisted magic on magical swords or people wrongfully caught within them. Which was really frustrating for her but Zelda wasn't one to give up after such a setback. 

While her single-minded determination to help her friend was very touching, it also bothered Link that his best friend apparently now dedicated every free second she had to searching for a way to help him. 

But every time he brought it up when she would visit him, she'd simply shrug his worries off with a disarming smile and change the topic. It was, in short, very frustrating for both of them.

"You know" Zelda confessed one day. "When Four first changed their name a lot of people protested and said they lost their mind. So to make a point of showing these idiots that they're not crazy I've taken to calling myself Dot." 

"Okay" Link questioned at that. "Would you like me to call you that way, too?" 

Dot gave a soft smile and a light nod, her eyes lightening up at that: "Yes, please. To be honest Dot feels more like my name than Zelda cause Zelda has been used for so many princesses and queens before me and I don't want to be just another one of them. I want to be my own person with no expectations of earlier Zelda's weightening me down."

"Alright, Dot" Link said, agreeing and that closed the matter.

"You know" Dot muttered another day. "For some reason your body has stopped aging. Four's stuck as a prepubescent twelve year old. We wondered why and they have speculated that it's because of the Four Sword." She chuckled bitterly.

"Who'd have thought they were somewhat right. With you hoarding most of your soul, there's not enough to keep the body alive and growing. So it just quit growing and kept to simply staying alive. Funny how magic works, huh?"

"Yeah" whispered Link, feeling bitterness settle in the depths of his non-present stomach. While it was nice to know that his body needed him as much as he did his body and more, he was also accurately aware that he had not the choice to return to it, for who would guard Ganondorf if not Link?

"We still can't tell them," he insisted quietly, his resolve unwavering. Dot looked at him saddened but chose not to comment on the matter, holding this discussion back for when he could talk without nearly getting killed by dark magic every time he spoke.

On the night of Dot's fifteenth birthday Dot came to Link and they just celebrated quietly together because the princess was already tired from that day's loud balls and partying.

"You know" Dot sighed, showing him a book she brought with her, which had apparently been one of the many gifts she had received that day. "I'm not as inconspicuous as I would like to think."

Apparently the Minish had reported her unceasing research about magical swords to Four, who then moved heaven and earth to get her the best book available on the topic made from snippets of every other book even slightly skimming the topic.

"This could've saved us months of research, if only we had told Four" she then stated, voice devoid of any accusation but Link still felt like the lowest scum of Hyrule. So much of her rare free time wasted for nothing. 

But they couldn't tell Four, not now, not ever, because the fall out would be even worse than this wasted time. 

And so instead all he could say was: "I'm sorry." 

"I know" Dot replied to that, sounding drained. "But you shouldn't be. None of us knew they could have been half as useful as they were."

" _ But I should have known _ " Link would have liked to scream at that for he and Four were once one. He should have known that they could have helped immensely but Dot cut down any other attempt he made to blame himself out loud.

At least the book boosted their research for months forward and soon after Dot started experimenting with spells on other slightly magical swords to find the best one to help unbind her best friend.

"You know" Dot told him one day, while she was drawing chalk circles where Link could see them so he'd get a good grasp at the bounds of progress she now made. "Four is also researching. If I know them right, they're looking into a way to get Shadow back. Especially Vio is very invested in the matter."

Link would have frowned if he had the facial expressions to make the action possible: "But he's still there, still alive and crawling at their feet, like a normal Shadow, only with more independence."

Dot blinked at that, surprised: "He is? We never saw anything like that."

" _ That's strange _ " Link noted voicelessly, mind racing to understand that matter, before it came to a conclusion. "Maybe he's just as trapped as I am, some twisted magic sapping his strength away until he lost the last of his independence."

Dot nodded, eyes alight and thoughts obviously going over every possible solution. "That's a good theory, Link. After all he was summoned by twisted magic from your shadow to become corporal, so it isn't too surprising that he also is suffering from a similar problem like yours." 

Then her face dropped again: "But we can't tell Four that, cause they'll question when I saw that when they never did and why I didn't tell them earlier." She sighed, slightly bitter. Then her expression steeled: "But we'll fix that. First you and then Shadow. Everything will be alright."

Link wished he had half the optimism left that Dot bore, but alas his optimism was currently one part of Four.

By the time Link's fifteenth birthday came, another month of fruitless testings weighted heavily on Dot's mind. 

"You know" she confessed as she sat with a lap full of something next to him in the grass of the Four Sword's sanctuary in the early hours - the sun not even having risen - of his birthday because it would have been suspicious if she wouldn't spend all the official waking hours with Four. 

"I wanted to break Vaati's twisted magic upon you as a birthday present but none of my experiments with the spells gave a positive outcome yet, so I guess that'll have to wait. It would probably be a lot easier if I could get Four to help me experiment, but because I cannot explain without them figuring out something's up I had to work alone and thus am not done yet."

This was the first time she had brought the matter up since her birthday and Link voicelessly winced. Dot wisely choose to let the matter drop then and there.

Then she picked up the package from her lap and unpacked it to show the content to Link with a smile: "I hope this is at least enough for now."

Of course Link protested to receiving a gift, seeing as he couldn't get her anything for her birthday but Dot simply ignored his protests in favor of unpacking the package to show him what was within.

It was a bunch of brand new bandages she planned to exchange with the old, worn and tattered ones that barely clung to his hilt by a few threats. 

"I never understood what you liked about them so much. They kept catching fire whenever you were in fiery terrains" Dot reminisced whistfully, eyes far away as she wrapped the new bandages around his hilt.

Link would have blushed if he still had the cheeks necessary to have blood rush into to gain that rose colour. "I thought they looked cool" he meekly confessed. 

Dot chuckled heartily at that: "You're such a dork, Link."

Then she carefully stepped back to eye her handywork and gave it a contend nod: "Yes, that's a lot better. Especially since I enchanted these not to catch fire. Also I prayed for them to actually have a use for once, so there's that too. They will protect you, or at least your hilt, from whatever nature throws at you."

"Thank you, but you really didn't need to," Link said at that, deeply touched at the thoughtfulness of his best friend.

"Of course, for my favorite dork always" Dot confidentially announced at that before giving him a hug. 

"I know it's not much -" 

"It's more than I could ever ask for." 

"- but soon I'll get rid of the twists that Vaati did on the enchantments and that'll then be your proper birthday present."

And her determination would have made Link smile, something he hadn't thought about wanting to do much in the time of his unwilling imprisonment.

It was on the day before the third anniversary since Link's life as a sword began, almost exactly a year after the begin of Dot's research and testing, when Dot at last confidently claimed that she had found the right enchantments to undo Vaati's dark curses he had made from the pure enchantments of the Four Sword.

"You know" Dot confessed that day while she was drawing the necessary runes onto the floor of the Four Sword's sanctuary. "I am really nervous that something could go wrong, even when I quadruple checked everything."

"I know you can do this, Dot" Link then said, inwardly bracing himself for what was to come when she stopped and kneeled in a specific spot of the runes now inscribed onto the grass and cobblestones. "If anyone can do this, it's you."

Dot gave a nervous smile at that and a firm nod and then she closed her eyes and began to chant and to pray the words she labored to find for so long. And the runes started to glow brightly and colorful and if Link had eyes he would have closed them in an effort to not go blind. But alas he had no eyes to close and so instead of hurting his eyes the sight of light so bright it was white burned itself into his memory.

And then there was a mighty tug, scalding, burning on the enchantments, on Link and it ripped all the carefully closed gaps on his soul painfully open once more as it came to eradicate everything it found wrong and Link could faintly hear Ganondorf tortured screams in the back of his mind before the mental pain became too much and the trapped boy within the sacred sword finally passed out.

…

And when he awoke, Link felt like he could breathe again even though he still possessed no lungs and even though his soul was bleeding as much as it had in the first days of the separation Link felt better than ever. 

Opening his metaphorical eyes to glance at his best friend's worried and exhausted face, Link then spoke confidently, finally not getting tired by the small action for the first time in years: "You did it, Dot. I knew you could do it."

And the young queen broke out into a huge smile and both childhood friends laughed in relief and so much more as she slung her arms around his metallic form.

The worst was finally over.

…

Link startled out of his semi sleep, that was now finally good to replenish his own magic which he now once more produced, with a shout of alarm. It had been a mighty and admittingly slightly painful tug on his still not completely stitched together soul that had woken him before he had found himself metaphorically face down in the dirt...somewhere explicitly not his pedestal in the Four Sword Sanctuary.

Forcing himself to calm down and hopefully think of an effective way out of this strange and unexplainable situation - how had he landed here  _ what happened whydidithappen _ \- he missed the movement on the side of him and thus was understandably startled when the person beside him gave a tortured groan before stating angrily in a painfully familiar voice: "'Let's go into the portal' he said. 'It might lead to Shadow. Cause it reeks of dark magic.' No no, there can't be another reason, not at all. Vio, I'm gonna freaking kill you."

It was Four. 

And they apparently had walked into a portal that had transported them - and somehow him too, probably because they shared a soul - to wherever here was.

And now they were fighting out loud like a madman. Which was not good, what if someone heard them? They had no idea where they were, after all.

A startled exclamation made Link listen up once more: "Guys, look!" 

The following confusion reflected Link's inner state nicely. "The Four Sword?" "What's it doing here?"

Gently Link was then picked up and observed. "Is it just me or are the bandages newer?" "Focus, please. What's it doing here? Any ideas, anyone?"

Well, there were a lot of ideas but none really came close to what Link suspected as the main reason and so he mostly took his time to half heartedly listen to them banter and disapprove each other's theories and take a closer look at them. 

When Dot had told him they hadn't aged it couldn't really have prepared to see it in person. It was almost scary, for while mentally fifteen something years old, physically they were still barely twelve. They also had probably ruined his favorite tunics to sew them into a colorful patchwork one onto which they had also sewed the hat Ezlo had gifted them with as a farewell gift as a quite comfortable looking hood.

While Link still mentally bemoaned his poor tunics, Four suddenly stiffened and quietened. And then suddenly four people appeared out of the nearby forest, slightly tensing when they saw Four, armed with the Four Sword and their free hand in their magical bag, ready to pull out a fitting item if suddenly attacked.

...

Turns out that they were also heroes that thought it a good idea to walk into a strange black portal that suddenly appeared in their respective times. After Four decided to join them on their travels, their little group grew until they were nine. 

And they were all named Link.

So they all assumed nicknames, Four of course giving their long since used name while Link now once more hidden and silent, though now by choice, pondered upon a possible name to give himself, in the unwanted case that he was found out.

And so he chose "Sword", to go with Four's name, for together they made the hero of the Four Sword, which was as much fitting as it was ironic, were one to consider his current state of form.

As time passed, Link simply observed and learned and yearned to join the bonds forming between the different heroes. But not that he'd ever say that out loud, for he still feared what would happen if Four were to learn the truth.

And so he kept quiet, awaiting as much as dreading the day when the careful construct of his current existence would shatter and fall apart once again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! ^^  
> I know you're gonna ask now: When will the continuation be?  
> I'm gonna be honest, I dunno. My motivation is a fickle little thing and though I will try to make some sequels somewhat soon I can't say when (with guarantee not before October, though). Also my first priority is always Babble (so if you like my writing and LU you should check it out if you haven't yet) and so I'm still going to invest most of my time there and make sure whatever sequel I write is finished first before posting it.  
> If you want to read something of mine in the meantime I've got some more Zelda and non Zelda stories on my profile. (Maybe read you there?)  
> Thanks for understanding and I'm glad if you liked reading the story as much as I had fun writing it.  
> Read you next time (whenever that is)! ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Also, Agent3Novi was also so lovely to draw me a wonderful piece of art for this little story. You should check it out here:  
> https://sweetheartdj13.tumblr.com/post/626082297068814336/little-waterboilers-fic-the-sword-has-been


End file.
